


Ready to Fade

by Blancfortune (RahDamon)



Series: Clearly flew instead of fell [Drabbles] [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bitterness, F/M, Gen, Instead of what happened Tony was paralyzed from neck down, Irondad, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RahDamon/pseuds/Blancfortune
Summary: Tony loved listening to Peter, but he’d love it more if he could do more than listen. Pepper yanks him out of his following spiral.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Clearly flew instead of fell [Drabbles] [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589017
Kudos: 27





	Ready to Fade

**Author's Note:**

> New Year's resolution is to write at least one Drabble a Day this year. Let's see how this goes. 1st January, just so.  
> The Title comes from the Poem [“Always Something More Beautiful” by Stephen Dunn ](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/58164/always-something-more-beautiful)

Peter prattled on about his latest project, his hands flailing around in the air. His whole face was lit up and he was almost vibrating off his chair, but Tony didn’t stop him. He could keep up easily with his Spiderkid and – ok, the whole thing was just endearing. Peter was adorable at the worst of times but when he was fully immersed in his passions? That was weapon-grade cute and Tony should know. He used to design the best weapons.

(Tony couldn’t do much more than listen, anyway, as phantom pains zapped down his missing arm and scorched nerves. Turned out that absolute power racing through your veins and spine killed off the majority of your nerves. For any prosthetic to work, there needed to be functioning nerves. In short, Tony was fucked and paralyzed worse than Rhodey had been in that Civil War clusterfuck.)

“… and Harley insists I’m wrong but I swear I’m not. I could prove it, you know, Mr. St-”

“Kid,” Tony interrupted, infusing his voice with fond exasperation and rolling his eyes. “First, you’ve called me Tony once, no take-backsies.”

At that, Peter whined, a wordless noise. Tony felt self-loathing dig into his being when he noticed desolation and pain flash through Peter’s eyes.

“Also, talk to Pep about anything you need to prove your thesis. You know, money’s no issue, kid, you know that. Really, you need to get used to that.” After all, Tony had made Peter his heir – after he had asked Harley and Morgan.

Harley had just laughed and said he liked his humble life interspersed with the occasional luxury. Being Tony’s heir would throw a wrench into that simple life and – fair, it wasn’t like Harley was wrong. Were he to inherit Stark Industries, everyone would constantly get into his business.

His little Morguna was easier. She just made the universal ‘ew’ – face and screeched at him, all offended, that he wanted her to stay in house and do paper work her work life. Tony had had a good chuckle at that. Then again she was only 6. Reason, why he had added a clause that Peter and Morgan would share the position if she ever changed her mind.

Peter flicked Tony’s nose, pouting at him. Tony was hard-pressed not to coo over that.

“Tony. Still can’t believe you gave me your company.” This was followed by inaudible grumbling, made clear by the tone.

“Haven’t yet, kid. Right now, it’s still Pepper’s. Still Pepper at the helm. Still the most wonderful being ever leading my – eh, nope, her empire.”

“It’s always nice to hear myself being appreciated.”

Surprised Tony’s eyes flickered over to the door. Pepper was smiling, stray grey hair escaping the bun on her head, a bun most likely fashioned by Morgan judging from the amount of hair falling from it.

“Hey, Miss Potts,” Peter chirped with an innocent smile. Which, to be honest, offended Tony. That little brat was doing this on purpose now, the troll. But oh, Tony had been right when he called his wife the most wonderful being.

“It’s Mrs Stark, Mr Parker, if we’re using formalities. Also, May called. Any idea why?”

Tony snickered when Peter stilled for a second and then shot up, just to trip over his own untied shoes. His snickers turned to outright laughter when the kid threw himself out of the window losing a shoe and shouted something about visiting next weekend again and being too late.

His Spiderkid was a disaster, but what an amusing one.

Unfortunately, that laughter quickly turned into burning coughs that took a while to dwindle. Pepper laid a cool hand onto his nape and lifted a glass of sparkling water to his lips. He moaned in relief as cold liquid coated the insides of his throat, dulling the pain.

Bitterness replaced relief in less than quarter a second. “Why do you even bother with me, Pep?”

The body pressed against Tony stiffened. He was already preparing for her snarling and spewing the same shit almost everyone he knew kept telling. It was a miracle he was alive, he should be grateful and not bitter that the only thing he could move was his head, not even his neck.

A hand with carefully manicured – oh, red and gold, he liked them – grabbed Tony’s chin and turned them to Pep with the greatest care. Tony almost sobbed at the love and sorrow and downright adoration in Pepper’s face.

“Anthony Edward Stark, listen to me.”

Well, now Tony was glad that he couldn’t physically flinch at the steel in Pepper’s voice. Steel and iron went well together, didn’t it.

“I love you. Your worth is not tied to your usefulness. I’m serious, so believe me. Look in my eyes, I will never desert you. I didn’t when you partied endlessly hoping to die, when you acted out in fear of your death and I won’t now that we came full circle. I love you.”

She pressed her lips against his wet cheeks and his eyes fluttered shut.


End file.
